A woman in her 60s was killed in a crash on the A69 in Northumberland on Saturday, police confirmed. The collision occurred between Hexham and Haydon Bridge, and an appeal for witnesses has been launched.
The woman was driving a blue Volkswagen Tiguan eastbound when it was involved in a collision with a black Honda travelling in the opposite direction at around 1.20pm. Northumbria Police confirmed the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Driver taken to hospital
The driver of the Honda, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening. A significant emergency services response saw police, ambulance and air ambulance crews at the scene.
The woman's next of kin have been informed, while Northumbria Police's serious collision investigation unit has launched a full investigation. Officers are appealing for anyone who was travelling in the area at the time, particularly those with CCTV or dashcam footage.
Police appeal for witnesses
Sgt Greg Huntley said: "This is an incredibly tragic incident where a woman has lost her life. The thoughts of everyone here at Northumbria Police are with her loved ones. Our investigation is underway, and we are now appealing for further witnesses who we have not yet spoken with to come forward."
"We know this is a very busy stretch of road in Northumberland – and there will have likely been many motorists passing in both directions. If you were in the area or have any information that might help with our investigation, please don't hesitate to get in touch."
Emergency services response
The North East Ambulance Service confirmed that two people had been treated for "serious injuries to the head and body" after the crash. The road remained closed until around 11pm.
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 1.20pm yesterday to a road traffic collision on the A69 near Hexham involving two vehicles. We dispatched three emergency care ambulance crews, the air ambulance and a duty officer to the scene. They treated two patients for serious injuries to head and body before conveying to hospital."
The Great North Air Ambulance Service helicopter team also attended, though the charitably funded critical care team accompanied a casualty to hospital by road. In a statement, a GNAAS spokesperson said: "Our critical care team was activated at 1.35pm to reports of a road traffic collision near Hexham. We had two paramedics and a doctor on board our aircraft and they arrived on scene at 1.46pm. Our team worked alongside the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to assess and treat a patient. The patient was taken to hospital by a NEAS road crew, accompanied by our team."
